2012 July epsucob@NEWS 13

Trade unions were instrumental in organising major demonstrations in 80 cities across the country in protest against the most recent set of budget cuts. The austerity measures include further attacks on public sector workers including cutting the Christmas bonus which means an effective pay cut of 7% for some workers. The unions plan a sustained campaign against the measures and have formed a platform of public sector trade unions that will coordinate future action. [Read more at > FSC-CCOO (ES)->http://www.fsc.ccoo.es/webfsc/menu.do?Inicio:368957] [And at > FSP-UGT (ES)->http://www.fspugt.es

Public services union Unison has welcomed research commissioned by the TUC confederation that counters government arguments in favour of regional pay in the public sector. The report, produced by the New Economics Foundation, highlights the loss to regional economies arising from cuts to the purchasing power of public sector workers. It also examines the arguments about pay levels in the private sector and concludes that there is little evidence to support the idea that lower pay in the public sector in some regions would create private sector employment. [Read more at > Unison->http://www

The FP CGIL and UIL PA public sector federations are continuing to mobilise their members in the fact of threats by the government to reorganise the Red Cross emergency services. The unions are concerned about a change in status of the organisation - effective privatisation - and about commitments on employment. The next meeting between unions and the Ministry of Health is planned for 25 July. [Read more at > UIL PA (IT)->http://www.uilpa.it/informazione-circolari/2012/1419-17072012-emergenza-croce-rossa-italiana] [And at > FP CGIL (IT)->http://www.fpcgil.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT

A major conference took place on 9-10 July involving the government, social partners and other organisations with the aim of discussing a range of social issues. Unions welcomed the intentions behind the conference to break with the policies of the previous government, however, there was some disappointment that concrete measures were not put forward. Instead there was an indication of a range of issues that would be the subject of discussions with unions mostly from the autumn, including gender equality, health and safety and trade union rights among others. The unions are still looking for

After lengthy negotiations the unions FNV Abvakabo, CNV Publieke Zaak and CMHF have signed a new agreement covering water authority employees. The unions see this as a modern agreement which will allow for long-term investment in the employability of workers. A key element of the two-year agreement is the individual choice budget which increases by 1% in 2012 and 2% in 2013. This allows employees to choose what element of their pay and conditions they want to increase. There are also new provisions on flexibility which allow workers more control over their working time. [Read more at > FNV

Local government union Kommunal has welcomed the fact that most parties in parliament would support action on equal pay and a different approach by the National Mediation Institute. Until now the Institute has monitored pay developments with a view to ensuring that pay develops across sectors in line with pay in export industries. Consequently, it has said that it cannot take issues of equal pay into account. This may change now if the government reviews the remit of the Institute so that it can address the structural inequality that is one of the main blockages in closing the gender pay gap.

The OAO public sector trade union organisation has published data on pay developments across the public and private sectors. It notes that average pay in the state sector fell by 0.6% in the year to February 2012 - the first year of the two-year agreement negotiated in 2011. The report also notes that wage developments across the economy have not kept pace with inflation. The OAO is a coordinating body that brings together 16 trade unions in the state and local government sectors. It has produced English publications on collective agreements in the state sector and on social clauses in

Ver.di has negotiated a new agreement covering 5600 employees of the Damp Group, part of the Fresenius health multinational. The agreement was reached following a major conflict where Fresenius had issued dismissal notices to around 1000 employees of Damp's central services company who had taken strike action to support their demands during the negotiations. Those employees will now have their pay protected if they are transferred to another company. Other employees in the group will get an increase of 3.5% backdated to 1 May 2012 and a 1.4% increase from 1 January 2013. Employees of acute

Services union ver.di has welcomed a report from the Hans Böckler research organisation that exposes the way that church organisations treat their employees. Ver.di has been campaigning for some time against the refusal of some church organisations to negotiate proper collective agreements and this report reveals what this means in practice in terms of the poorer pay and conditions and employment rights of those working in church-run social enterprises and also those affected by outsourcing from these organisations. [Read more at > ver.di (DE)->http://www.verdi.de/themen/nachrichten/++co+